Thursday, August 5, 2010

I first saw a blanket like this at a baby shower for a friend's first baby boy. Our mutual friend, Joyce, gifted it and I was so amazed she had made it! I hadn't seen anything like it and thought it had such a beautiful vintage feel. As I was composing my nesting list I thought about including a cut chenille blanket like this. It seems like something that would be a treasured heirloom. I was lucky enough to run into Joyce a couple months ago and ask her a few questions about the blanket and then I dove in.

I chose Amy Butler's home decor fabric, August Fields, in Tangerine/Wild Poppies. I LOVE this fabric! I have been thinking about it for months and wishing to come up with something to make with it. An August baby girl is the perfect opportunity... And these tangerine/coral/peachy tones look so beautiful with the linen and lavender I've picked for her crib bedding and eventual nursery.

The blanket is 45"x45", a generous size for using as a play mat and transitioning to a nap or lap blanket when she is older. Because I haven't been making blankets as much as other things for my girls I am thinking about making a couple for Audrey and Scarlett too, so as not to leave them out. I don't know if that's creative inspiration or insanity, but regardless I'll have to see where additional cut chenille blankets fall out on the priority list...

I couldn't find a tutorial online for a blanket like this so I've created one here (click below to jump). It's a really fun, if time-consuming process. I had to switch from a sewing to a quilting mindset to endure the rows of stitching and wondered if I shouldn't have gone with a 36" square instead, but I think the result is worth the effort.

Link to the Tutorial below by clicking on "Read More."

If you make one of these cut chenille blankets I would love to see photos! Please consider adding them to my Flickr Group.

180" of seam binding (I used ready-made satin blanket binding, but making your own from the same printed or a coordinating cotton fabric would be beautiful too, and more vintage-looking--I want to try it on my next blanket)

Olfa's Chenille Cutter tool is VERY helpful, but not absolutely necessary (you can just use scissors)

Select three cotton flannel fabrics that coordinate with your primary print. I found this a little tricky as I was shopping locally and didn't find the selection of colors I had in my mind. I was thrilled when I found this orangey polka dot--the print doesn't really matter on the flannel as long as the colors work since these fabrics fray to form the chenille.

**Note: I have never pre-treated my fabrics for these blankets, but I just heard a horrible story about some flannels bleeding and ruining the top print fabric, so pre-treating is a safe idea. Another thing to consider is that I've been told the higher-quality fabrics don't bleed...so that might make a difference as well.**

You'll need to cut your primary printed fabric and all three flannel pieces into something close to 45" squares (depending on the width of your fabric), BUT, leave the printed fabric slightly larger to create a margin that will make it easier for cutting the flannel later in the process. About 1/4" will do.

Stack your fabrics with the primary printed cotton wrong side up and the flannels on top of it, right sides facing up. Arrange the flannels in the order that appeals to you--I sandwiched my strongest color between white and pale yellow. Pin the edges to hold this stack in place, but realize that the quilting process will cause some shifts in the alignment, which is fine.

NOTE: YOU MUST SEW AND CUT THE FLANNEL ON THE BIAS FOR IT TO FRAY PROPERLY. To do this, first mark a diagonal line dividing your square in half (into two equal triangles). This will be your first quilting line and all other stitching rows will use this as the guide, so it's important to get it straight and exactly on the diagonal. These stitching lines will create "channels" for cutting the flannel chenille on the bias. A bonus is that the diagonal quilting is beautiful!

I used kitchen twine pulled taut to find the diagonal line between two corners of my fabric square, then laid down a cutting guide for marking the line with a washable sewing marker.

Then the real fun begins: the quilting! Stitch down your center line from corner to corner. This is where it really is helpful to be able to sew a straight line! But, if the stitching lines aren't perfectly straight that is OK in my mind, because this is a handmade blanket after all. I marked and sewed this first line on the flannel size of the fabric stack. You'll find the fabric doesn't shift around too much, remarkably, which is nice, but by the end your neatly stacked edges will be a little off kilter due to stretching and shifting, but that is easily cleaned up later.

After completing your first stitching line you will stitch parallel lines 1/2" apart until the fabric is completely quilted. Use your sewing machine pressure foot as a guide to keep these lines parallel and equal distance apart. I would recommend stitching these subsequent lines on the printed side of your fabric stack since these rows of stitching will show (the stitching will be covered by the chenille on the reverse) and you'll avoid bobbin/tension mishaps, which could show on this side if you stitch on the flannel side. (Hope that makes sense.)

Be prepared to spend a few hours stitching. I estimate it took me about four hours to complete all the quilting. As I said above, it helps to think of this as "quilting" rather than the more instant-gratification "sewing." When this step is finished the blanket already looks so beautiful! Note that the edges of the fabric aren't as neatly aligned now. Trim the flannel a bit where it is really uneven (but don't trim the margin on your printed fabric!) to make the chenille-cutting process a bit easier--this really only applies if you are using the Olfa Chenille Cutter.

Now for the cutting. This part is much quicker than the quilting, especially if you have one of these handy tools. Start at one edge of the quilted "channel," grasp the margin of printed fabric, and slide the cutter through all three layers of flannel. This Olfa cutter has different widths to make a center cut easier, and spares your hand the cutting motion, but you can accomplish the same thing with scissors: just cut down the center from one end of the channel to the other being careful not to cut the printed fabric. (Fortunately, the chenille will hide any slight imperfections in cutting.)

One of the nice things about this project is that it looks pretty fun at each step of the way. I love the look of this cut flannel!

After all the flannel is cut, trim the edges of your blanket and "square up" the blanket if needed (fold diagonally and trim excess to make it square). I used a self healing mat, rotary cutter and guide for this but scissors work fine too.

These straight, clean edges are important for binding the blanket.

One of the details I love about this blanket are it's rounded corners. To create these use a guide to trim off one of the corners. (I grabbed a small plate with a curve that seemed about right to me but of course there are many handy curve/circle templates out there, I just don't have any in my sewing toolkit.) Trace and cut or mark with a washable sewing marker and cut.

Use this first rounded corner as the template for the other three so that all four match.

Next is the seam binding. I used packaged satin blanket binding, which happens to be the perfect length. For a 1/2" binding you'll need a 2" strip of satin binding so this ready-made satin binding needs to be cut in half lengthwise, along the fold. (If you choose to use cotton fabric bias tape/binding and are making your own see this great Portabello Pixie tutorial.)

Then you need to fold and iron the satin to create the double fold binding. I do this by first folding in half, then opening up and folding the two outside edges inside along the center fold and pressing again. I have to say this was a bit of a pain with the satin. I was really wishing for one of those handing bias tape making tools! I found it easiest to lay down my iron and pull the folded satin under it rather than trying to move the iron along--you might try that, but only if you have a burn-proof ironing board cover!

You'll now have a double-fold binding to bind the outside edges of the blanket.

Slide the binding over the edge of the blanket to cover the raw edges and pin. Use more pins on the curves to ease the binding in place. Then top stitch the binding in place, as close to the inside edge of the binding as possible while catching both edges. This is a bit tricky--I wasn't able to get the top stitching line as close to the edge as I would have liked. For those true perfectionists, you may want to bind differently by unfolding the binding and sewing right sides together, raw edge even, on the first fold line, then folding the binding over the edge to the other side and either hand sewing or top stitching in place. If top stitching with this method it would still be a bit tricky but perhaps a better result.

Here (above) is the nearly finished blanket: quilted, cut, and seam bound. Now you throw it in the wash to fray the flannel and create the chenille. I washed mine on the warm/cold setting with just a little detergent and then threw it in the dryer.

Isn't the result amazing? I love those lines of chenille! And I expect they will only get more frayed and fluffy with years of use and washing.

WOW! At first I thought..."hey she isn't using any chenille" then I read the whole tutorial and realized that you are MAKING the chenille baking! My next thought was how did she get that color with those lines in it, it is beautiful! Then again read it, and completely understood! I will totally be making on of these! Way to stinkin cute to pass up!

I love the way you combined the colours! I made one of these a little while ago and just played it safe with white. Did you find you had to rotate your blade often to keep it sharp and cutting well?http://pearlschell.blogspot.com/2010/06/still-havent-finished-quilt-for-our.html

My heart is fluttering with excitement about this quilt! My sister is pregnant with her first baby and I MUST make this for her. (I think I'll make a few practice doll-sized quilts for my daughter first.)

LOVE this blanket, and so does my dear friend who is also pregnant with her third girl. I'm contemplating making one for her, and so tried a smaller version this weekend. Two tips I'd share, you DO need the olfa chenille cutter-- after doing only the center of a burp cloth with scissors two and a half days ago, my thumb is still a little numb! (apparently a common injury from overuse of scissors.) Also, the flannel needs to be quilted and cut on the bias, as you have done. I cut it on the grain and quilted it with vertical stitch lines, and ended up with a stringy mess! And that's why I always try it out on something small first!! Thanks for sharing this lovely project-- I can't wait to try it out!

This blanket is absolutely amazing!! I can't wait to try making one myself! I'm promoting this on my blog today with a link to your tutorial! You can check it out here: http://bellarageous.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-tuesday-heirloom-cut-chenille.html

This is beautiful! I love the rounded corners. I have wondered how to create those. Thanks for showing me how:) I just made a similar blanket for my baby girl(4 mos.), however mine is backed in minky. I love the chenille!

This is just gorgeous! I dove right into the tutorial after reading your blog and had a finished blanket about a week later. You can see the results and a link to your tutorial on my blog: http://middlebrookfamily.blogspot.com/2010/08/heirloom-cut-chenille-baby-blanket.html.The recipient is THRILLED with the gift. Thanks!!

This is brilliant! I'm working on one tonight with a fat yard of spare Amy Butler decor weight fabric I have had lying around for awhile! It's going really well! I'll be sure to post the complete blanket on my blog! I may turn this into a project I do for each of of new nieces and nephews as the pop out (we're right at that age where our siblings are having children).

I just stumbled on this tutorial and I cannot wait to make one of these. Luckily two of my girlfriends are pregnant and I'll just have to add this to my to do list of things they are getting. I like it so much I want to make one for my one year old and maybe even my older kids.

Not a silly question at all! I wondered the same thing. I didn't wash any of my fabric before starting, but you certainly could. Since all the flannel is cut I didn't think shrinking would affect things much....

I'm about 45% of the way done quilting my one of these right now... I'm using all cottons instead of flannel because it's what I had on hand and a few days ago Dana from MADE had posted a blanket she made ages ago that she said she'd used all cottons for, so hopefully it still turns out really nice! I mentioned and linked to this tutorial on my blog today. It's helping me fight off the crazy while I wait to go into labour... 10:30pm on Five Days Overdue right now, I need all the help I can get, haha ;)

This tutorial is so good.. I came across this in august.. As i was thinking to link to my new blog, some of the things that really inspired me, I remembered this tutorial.. Such an amzing idea :)Thanks :)http://handmadebyfreeda.blogspot.com/p/how-to-dos-from-others.html

My sister received a baby blanket like this at a shower I threw for her. I really love it and was happy to see your tutorial :)

I want to make one for a gift to a friend but I was hoping to make it a little larger. Like a lap quilt for an adult. My problem is that my fabric isn't as wide as it is long and so I won't be able to make it a square and find the true bias. It will be a little stretched out because I will be working on a rectangle, instead. Will this cause problems, does anyone know? I have a yard and a half and I think the width is 42 or something. I don't want to waste a bunch of flannel figuring it out if someone already has, lol.

Is there hope for me or is the homemade chenille blanket forever destined to be a baby blanket?

Thank you for this tutorial. I made a 16"x16" lovie to see how I liked the technique, I will be making a full sized one for my son who is due in March. I will say sewing in a straight line is not required at all, just makes cutting a bit more difficult (using scissors,) you can't even tell when it's all done. Hope the recipient likes it!

I finished my version and I blogged it today at http://onthelaundryline.blogspot.com/2011/01/faux-chenille-baby-blanket.html ... I used all cottons and no flannels, and a different binding. http://onthelaundryline.blogspot.com/2011/01/faux-chenille-baby-blanket.htmlI love it! I will definitely invest in a chenille cutter if/when I do another one.

I finished my blanket last week and gave it to my niece at her baby shower. Not quite as pretty as yours but it turned out nice. Thanks for the tutorial. I blogged mine at http://tinasnowandagain.blogspot.com/2011/01/so-i-finally-finished-baby-blanket-i.html

I have one question... Do you use a basting spray to hold your fabrics all in place? I am making this for the first time and having such a hard time cutting my fabric with the chenille cutter I just got (Clover brand). It keeps getting gummed up with basting stick residue even after I've steam ironed it like 3 times already! How do you keep your fabrics in place for sewing?

I didn't use any basting spray on mine. Since I used flannel I found that the fabrics stuck together pretty well on their own. I pinned a few places towards the perimeter but removed these afer the first few stitching lines. Sounds like the spray has made a bit of a mess. I have no experience with it at all but maybe it would make sense to wash the blanket before continuing? It would fray a bit aroudn the edges but maybe it's worth it compared to what you're experiencing now? Hope it works out!

I loved this tutorial so much, I made my own chenille quilt! I made it as part of a set to give for a baby shower, and at first I screwed up - really bad. I bought fleece instead of flannel, and didn't realize my mistake until I had quilted ALL of the lines! So I said, whatever. I'll just finish it and see how it turns out. It turned out beautiful! Obviously, fleece doesn't ravel like flannel or other wovens, b/c it's a knit fabric. But, it did pouf some, and wave some, and you can see the colors. So it works just fine! I added some pics to your flickr pool.

I love this. I found your blog a little while ago and I had to wait to find out if I would be having a boy or girl in July. We found out yesterday that baby is a girl....so I went and bought the fabric and thread today. I am so excited to get started!!Thank you for the great directions.WOO HOO!!

Annaliese, I have a question. My daughter loves the baby blanket I made following your directions, but she wants me to make one with a layer of fleece in it, between the top layer and the chenilled flannel. It gets very cold here in the winter, and she wants one for her apartment. Would that work at all?

@Sharon, hmmm...seems like that should work. In fact, someone posted pictures in my Flickr group (see the link in my side bar on the right) of a blanket she did using all fleece instead of flannel! You could try that, or I think it would work just adding a layer of fleece in between as she suggests--it would just be tricky trying not to cut through it when you are cutting the flannel. Tricky but possible I think! You'll have to let me know if you give it a try. -Anneliese

Stunning! I made a quilt for my daughter (who happens to be named Anneliese!) while I was on maternity leave with her. I've been looking for another quilt or blanket to sew for our new baby coming in May. I think I have found it! It has a quilt feel, but without so much piecing.

@Pamela: You can absolutely use other 100% cotton woven fabrics. I used flannel because I assumed it would be softer, but by the time you cut, wash and dry, maybe it's about the same...I haven't compared myself but Dana has a great tutorial using the cotton on MADE: http://www.dana-made-it.com/2010/11/faux-chenille-baby-blanket-tutorial.html -A

@MrsCarter: Wow! A twin sized blanket sounds very ambitious! I think your biggest challenge will be the fabrics if you want to avoid seaming. But assuming you do find the fabrics (maybe twin sheets would work for cutting chenille, I don't know, and you'd like want more than three layers...) all the same steps would apply. Just be careful about stitching and cutting on the bias! I hope it works!

I did it!! Thanks for the tutorial!! This was a LOT of work, I made mine twin sized, my thumb will never be the same. I LOVE it and have washed it several times, it just gets fuzzier and cozier each time.

Okay, this is absolutely one of my most favorite things I have seen on the internet. I just started sewing. And I have a huge list of things I want to make, and now this has bumped everything down a spot. I HAVE to do this. I love it! I love your blog too. Subscribing to your feed now:)

I am so loving this chenille blanket. My family and I just moved and I am now a stay at home mom. I now have taken up sewing and have a long "to do" list. This is now on the top. I hope mine looks half as pretty. I did a post today and featured this blanket and your blog!

this is SO beautiful! I am going to attempt one for my sister's bridal shower gift. But I am wondering about using home decor fabric- a lot that I have found say dry clean only. the 100% cotton that I have found seem too thin. If you have any suggestions I would truly appreciate it!!

@Nicole: While I used home dec weight, it seems most who have used this tutorial or the one from MADE have used regular quilting weight cotton with great success. So I think either would work--quilting weight is probably a bit softer in the end. I was able to find home dec 100% cotton but I have to be honest that I didn't read care instructions--it may have recommended dry cleaning and perhaps that's to retain color. In any event, I think if you find a home dec 100% cotton you like you should be fine washing it in cold and drying it on low heat. -A

I just finished this project and I will have to say that before I do it again (which I definitely will do) I. WILL. BUY. A. CUTTER. My finger still has a numb spot days later from my scissors! But the blanket turned out beautiful, even for a novice.

I just found this awesome tutorial the other day on how to make bias tape. I read that you mentioned how much of a pain it was and this tutorial shows how to set up 2 pins on a ironing board to guide and fold the tape as you pull it along. Genius! Beautiful blanket.Holly @ craftsbyholly.blogspot.com

I LOVE THIS! I am gonna make a doll size version today at nap as a trial run and I came up with a question. Did you wash your fabrics to pre-shrink them? I was wondering about the flannel. Will it get softer and fuzzier if I dont do this step so that it shrinks for the first time when I wash the blanket?

OMG! I love it! Seems to be BABY BOOM Year, 11 friends of mine expecting and I am 6 month pregnant too. I have a couple showers to attend to, so this would be really special! So far, I've just made Burb Cloth in fun cute colors or easy normal blanket! I need to try this!

@The Hackers: I did not prewash my fabrics before sewing. I used a standard/allpurpose sharp needle and it worke dfine. I believe I left my stitch length on the default setting. Hope that helps. Good luck with the fun nesting project!

Wonderful article, very well explained.Great information. It’s nice to see that we love our miracle babies! Here’s a $5 off coupon from My Miracle Baby.com to celebrate! $5 off your purchase of $30 or more.Use coupon code: COUPON05. I also wanted to let you know I blogged about miracle babies for personalized baby gifts.

Hi Anneliese! I love your blog and have been a follower for a long time. Your trip to Europe has almost given me the courage to try a longer trip with a little guy...we will see! I actually have two questions. The first is - how do you pronounce your name? The way I am saying it in my head is lovely, but I wanted to be sure I knew the correct pronunciation. The second is...how heavy is your quilt? I just pinned mine and it is really heavy for the size, with a layer of quilting cotton and three layers of cotton flannel. Should it be really heavy? Thank you again for posting this wonderful tutorial and I will upload pics as soon as I am finished!

@ s.: Thanks for your nice comment! You are the first to ask about pronunciation! It's a bit tricky. It's a German name so all the a and e sounds are like "ah" nice and round and open. So it sounds more like "AhhnnaLisa" Yes, my blanket is a bet hefty. I also used decorating weight cotton so that adds a bit more. I love it as a crawling/playing blanket rather than a bundling or sleeping blanket, which is also why I made it on the large size. Can't wait to see the pics!

This is really amazing! I found your site through Pinterest for your pillowcase dress and was looking through your other tutorials. I just finished my first quilt, and would like to try this for my second!

I drove two friends to their fertility appointment and now they're having twins. (Am I the luckiest friend EVER, or what?) I want to make a couple of these adorable little quilts but that link to the "chenille cutter" took me to the Olfa SK-10 Concealed Safety Blade Knife.

I think that will work, but what do you think? Right thing to buy? (Babies aren't due until sometime in February, but I hate to wait until the last second because then invariably, I screw up and don't get it done.)

@Marti: I would highly recommend the Olfa Chenille Cutter--makes the job much easier! I just updated the link again, and here it is too: http://www.olfa.com/featureddetail.aspx?c=77&id=203 If it doesn't take you directly there, select the USA site and then leave that window open and try the link again... Lucky indeed! Good luck with the twin blankets!

I made one for my son and it worked out perfectly! I had a lot of enjoyment in making it. I want to make one for my mother. Can I make one that would be 1 3/4 yard long and 45 inches wide? I wasn't sure, this is my first experience with making quilts and I am new to sewing.

@Bluedot99: I am so glad you enjoyed making one. Makes the work that much better! I would think you could make one in those dimensions--the trick will be keeping your stitching, and therefore cutting, on the bias. Good luck with your next one!

I don't sew well at all, but I have been obsessed with making one of these blankets since a girlfriend linked me to your excellent tutorial. I am blogging my progress as I go. :) http://grahamlikethecracker.net

Thanks for posting this tutorial. I can't wait to see how mine turns out!

Oh my goodness. Why did I click on this? Now I have one more project to try to squeeze in before baby comes! eek! This is absolutely gorgeous. I have a few chenille blankets that I bought at a yard sale recently. They're really worn and ratty in spots, so I bought them with the intention of cutting them into smaller, crib sized blankets. I like the idea of backing them with something though. (that Amy Butler fabric is so pretty.)

I might try my hand at making one of yours to match the chenille I already have, but really small, like a pillow cover. This way I can get this project out of my system and at least try it out, but won't have to do the entire blanket! But I promise that one day, post baby's arrival, I will make a full blanket. How could I not?? It's like Candy!

I totally and thoroughly love making these. I have now made two and blogged about them here: http://grahamlikethecracker.net/blog/2011/08/26/emmas-faux-chenille-quilt/Thanks again for this totally awesome tutorial. :)

Okay so I am obsessed with this blanket and it's finally getting me to pull out my very unused sewing machine! Could I just use regular cotton fabric instead of home decor fabric or quilting fabric? I have some I love but I'm worried it won't turn out as well. Let me know. I can't wait to get started!

Wow. This is a project I will definitely save. I have to get a sewing machine for sure. I am a crochet person gathering tips on how to quilt. I love the pics and directions. Should be easy for this newbie quilter to follow! Thanks for sharing this beautiful project!

So I go to bed thinking about this blanket, get up thinking about it... guess I'll have to go buy me a sewing machine... just been waiting on an excuse to buy one... What type fabric is your printed fabric?

I was on another site and she mentioned your site and the pattern. I love this and have a new friend with a new baby. Joann fabric here I come. Thank you for sharing and I will send you a picture when I am done.Dee

I just started one of these. I got my first diagonal stitched. You say to use your presser foot as a guide to get the 1/2 inch spacing... but doesn't that give you a 1/4 inch spacing? How can I get the 1/2 inch spacing? Sorry if this is a silly question; I'm only an occasional sewer (but I'm working on it!). Anyone have any suggestions?

SO CUTE!! I tried this technique, but I used another flannel instead of regular ole' cotton for the top layer. Huge mistake! The ruffly part on the back was cute, but the finished blanket just didn't feel good. :( Also, I wish I would have had that Chenille Cutter! My hand was all but numb after cutting all those strips!

I love, love, LOVE your color and pattern choices! Fabulous! This post has made me want to try it again...using the right stuff. :D

I am 95% done with my first attempt at this (Christmas gift for my nephew) and I cannot get the binding to look nice for anything. I've got about a thousand pins holding it in place, but every time I start stitching with my machine, it starts shifting and stops catching the back side/looks like crap by about 6 inches in. I'm about to give up and sew on the binding by hand. I hate sewing by hand! I just need this thing done, though.

@Lisa: That sounds so frustrating! I am so sorry. You might check the tension your machine...maybe it is pulling the binding? you could also try it by machine in two steps--sew the binding on right sides together with raw edges aligned and then fold over the blanket and stitch down on the other side. Good luck!

I was so excited about making this blanket. It came out sooo cute except for one small issue. The "chenille" on the back is so frayed that there are tons of extra strings. In other words it needs a hair cut. I started to trim it up and realized it will take me as long to get rid of the frayed string as it did to sew and cut it. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, how did you get it all trimmed up??

I also used flannel on the front side. I really like it that way also. I think it makes the whole blanket warm and snuggly.

@Chicken Poo: Sorry you've run into an issue with this! I haven't had this happen with the blankets I've made. I wonder if this might be the result of stitching differently than on the bias? Not that thinking about that would help you solve the current problem, but I'm wondering about the strings. I would probably do just as you are doing--manually cut the strings. I hope it doesn't tak eyou too long!

I also missed the "cut on the bias" warning. :( I just male a LARGE blanket that needed to be seamed together. So I just sewed my 1/2 in seams from the center out on each side. Wow, I'm about ready to cry. Please tell me there is a way to salvage this blanket! ugh! I'm out of luck for my in laws Christmas gift, but at least I'll know better for my sister's baby shower gift. :/

@Janie: I am so sorry! I just made the part about the bias in ALL CAPS so hopefully no one else will miss that. I didn't know how important it was back when I made this blanket--but also thought the diagonal stitching was beautiful. Since then I've heard stories about "stringy" fraying. I'm not sure what to recommend. I don't know how bady the stringyness is. Maybe Chicken Poo while chime in again... You could finish the blanket by cutting and washing and trim any strings. You may want to wash a second time and then trim again. Or, you could not cut the channels, but instead treat this as a quilt with extra layers of warmth. If you wanted to add some of that fraying perhaps you could devise a kind of bias binding (look at my tutorial for making tube bias binding linked from the Chevron Chenille Blanket tutorial) where you sandwich all your flannel layers, cut it on the bias 2" wide, stitch together (per the tube binding tutoral) then stitch down the middle and wash. I would hope (though I haven't tried this) you would end up with a long frayed piece with all your flannel colors. You could then beind your quilt a different way and sew this frayed embellishment around the border? I'm trying to think creatively! I hope something works to your satisfaction!

@Anonymous: about the cutter... The Olfa cutter blade is positioned so you can put a guide between the top layer of fabric and the rest of the flannel, and just cut the flannel. You might need to see the cutter to realize exactly how it works but it does work!

Thanks for the ideas! My husband and I were cutting off the stringy mess and he cut a huge chunk out of the binding! I about cried. I have decided to take off the binding, add another piece of flannel to cover the frayed side and will stitch in the ditch about every 10 rows to attach it. Then sew on a new binding. Since I missed Christmas, how dumb is it to give my in laws a heavy, warm blanket on their anniversary on June? :) Or maybe I'll keep it for myself as a comforting cry blanket to hold me when I mess up future sewing projects. This is not going to stop me from trying!

@Janie: Oh man! That is the worst! Maybe someone is trying to tell you something about this blanket! Everyone has their mistake and failure stories. One of my own favorites is sewing a darling jumper and then realizing I had the nap running opposite directions from front to back. Buy anyway, you could if you want add another piece of binding over the binding that got cut if you want to keep with it, but maybe sewing over the frayed side is a good idea--it will certainly be thick and cozy. Who wouldn't love that!?

I tried to read thru all the comments for an answer to my question so sorry if I missed it. Do you prewash your fabrics? I know that flannels come in different qualities and some will shrink so much more than others. I'm just afraid of the fabrics shrinking in different directions!

Hi Jenell, No I don't pre-wash. With all the cutting and fraying it doesn't seem to matter. You should expect the right/patterned side to pucker a bit though, which is part of what I love about this blanket, because of all the fraying on the backside.

I went to Joann's tonight to get the fabric and 2 of the ladies in the fabric department had recently made this blanket! They recommended the chenille cutters (of course!) and also a walking foot. I think I'll spare myself sewing machine attachments and get that spray stuff that makes your fabric stick together and then washes off. Any thoughts there? I bought some cutters that will make a curved cut...I'm already thinking about my next project! :)

@EnvironMetal: I have never used a walking foot--I think you'll be ok without it. The chenille cutter makes the cutting go more quickly for sure. I wouldn't sue the spray stuff for quilting. I have heard others (maybe even commenters here) say that it doesn't wash out really well and is a mess for cutting. I have used flannel on these blankets and it "stuck together" well enough. I didn't have any trouble with shifting. You could use a few extra large safety pins to be extra careful. Good luck!

I am 99% finished this blanket, I just have to attach the binidng. Boy is it hell getting it around those corners, I hope it looks okay.

I used flannel for the printed fabric, three layers of 100% cotton and then another flannel for the chenille. To get it to stick, I used a fabric spray adhesive. When I was using my olfa chenille cutter, I didn't have any problems. And, I would NEVER try cutting this without that cutter. But the fabric adhesive worked just fine, no problems with it at all!

I apologize, I am a newbie, but I think Imissed something. Doesn't the cutter ct through ALL the fabrics? How do you only cut through three of the four? Is it the special cutter you mentioned?Sorry, maybe I totally missed something. :( Especially since I am the only one asking this, lolol. Thank you, it is LOVELY!

Thank you so much for the great tutorial! It was wonderful for me to follow when I made my best friend's baby a faux chenille blanket. If you'd like to see it (and that I mentioned your post!) you can go here:

Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm still learning to sew, so this was a great project for practicing sewing straight lines (and winding my bobbin)! Your tutorial was really easy to follow too. I can't believe how cute mine came out, even with my lines a little wavy. I'm wondering now if I have the patience to attempt an adult-sized version for my husband and myself! :D Thanks again! (Pics added to your Flickr pool.)

I just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to making the faux chenille blanket from your tutorial and I LOVE it!! The tutorial was well-written and easy to understand. Instant success!! My husband was blown away by my creation. I've just started a second one. Thank you for sharing beautiful patterns, your time, and your talents. Smiles from an appreciative fan!!!

I just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to making the faux chenille blanket from your tutorial and I LOVE it!! The tutorial was well-written and easy to understand. Instant success!! My husband was blown away by my creation. I've just started a second one. Thank you for sharing beautiful patterns, your time, and your talents. Smiles from an appreciative fan!!!

Hee, I wonder if you had any idea that 1.5 after you posted this, people would still be popping over (and commenting :D) -- so lovely! I literally had my first sewing class today (!), so I am bookmarking this for when I gain more skills :D Thank you for a fab tutorial!

I just found your tutorials through the Favequilts web site from listing 18 projects to make in 2 hours or less. I don't believe for a first time doing this it would only take 2 hours. I have done other items in chenille, but nothing this pretty and the base fabric of course makes it all. A tip I have picked up when doing chenille items is to sew with the walking foot attachment instead of a regular foot. Since it feeds layers together evenly this may minimize some of the stretching that happens when making these. Just a thought. Your blog is wonderful and a godsend for even grandmas like me. LOL Thanks again.

I've bought everything to make mine, I'm curious if the blanket must be cut in a square or if a rectangle will have the same effect if I sew on the diagonal? I appreciate the work you've done; all of it is so beautiful!

Just finished mine and it's in the wash now with 3 sheets of Shout Color Catcher just to prevent any colors bleeding. Praying it comes out well. I had 2 little spots where the chennile cutter was too close to the diagonal stitch and I had to re-stitch the flannel row back down. All in all, lots of work and patience, but I love love love it so far and in the end, my daughter will have a quilt she can pass down (wishful thinking on that it will last so long...praying that work will last generations!)I'll share a picture once it's dry.

I just finished my blanket last night. It was a labor of love for sure but I absolutely love how it turned out! I was planning on giving it to a friend but now I wish I was keeping it...guess I will just have to make another one.

Thanks so much for this tutorial, it really is fabulous and so lovely of you to share it! I made up one today and I am super happy with the result :) http://mbeleko.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/faux-chenille-baby-quilt.html